Traveling block for drilling rigs or the like



G; H'. ARTHUR 3,366,366

TRAVELING BLOCK FOR DRILLING RIGS OR THE LIKE Jan. 30, 1968 2Sheets-Sheet l Filed Nov. 10, 1966 Glen H. A rfhur INVENTOR.

BY 2M and paw; ZYMg Jan. 30, 1968 G. H. ARTHUR 3,

TRAVELING BLOCK FOR DRILLING RIGS OR THE LIKE Filed Nov. 10, 1966 2Sheets-Sheet 2' Fig- 2' Glen. H. Arfhur INVEN TOR.

' Attorn ys United States Patent 3,366,366 TRAVELING BLOCK FOR DRILLINGRIGS OR THE LIKE Glen H. Arthur, P.O. Box 1454, Alice, Tex.

Filed Nov. 10, 1966, Ser. No. 593,381 7 Claims. (Cl. 254-139) ABSTRACTOF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to the handling of drill stringpipe sections and more particularly to a novel type of traveling pulleyblock associated with drilling rigs through which pipe sections areinserted or withdrawn from a well bore.

The present invention is concerned with the rapid installation orwithdrawal of pipe sections at a drilling installation. Derricks areusually erected at such installations in order to insert or withdrawpipe sections from the well bore in accordance with well knownprocedures utilizing pipe holding slips and elevator clamps suspended bythe traveling block. It is therefore an important object of the presentinvention to provide a traveling block associated with a derrick throughwhich the handling of vertical pipe sections is facilitated in order toeffect a more rapid insertion or withdrawal of pipe sections utilizingpresently available derrick equipment.

In accordance with the foregoing object, the traveling pulley blockassociated with the present invention embodies at least two pulleysrotatable about perpendicular axes which intersect the pipe sectionsuspended from the traveling block whereby the pipe section may extendvertically upwardly through the traveling block frame. Accordingly, theheight to which the pipe section may be elevated by successiveengagement thereof by the traveling block suspended elevator, will notbe limited because of interference with the traveling block. Whiletraveling block constructions have heretofore been proposed throughwhich pipe sections may extend, they have required correspondingmodification of the crown block from which the traveling block issuspended by the cable in order to avoid fouling of the cable. Thetraveling block construction of the present invention however does notrequire such modification of the crown block and more particularlyavoids cross-mounted pulley sheaves in the crown block while at the sametime affords greater clearance for the pipe section when extendingupwardly past the traveling block aligned above the bore hole.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, where- 'inlike numeral refer to like parts throughout, and in which: 7

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a drilling rig installationembodying the principles of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the drilling riginstallation shown in FIGURE 1, illustrating in particular the travelingblock.

FIGURE 1 is a transverse sectional view taken subice stantially througha plane indicated by section line 33 in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged top section view taken substantially through aplane indicated by section line 44 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a top section view similar to FIGURE 4 but showing amodified form of crown block.

FIGURE 6 diagrammatically illustrates the traveling block and crownblock combination associated with the present invention.

FIGURE 7 diagrammatically shows the relative spatial disposition of thecrown and traveling blocks in accordance with the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, FIGURE 1 illustrates a typicaldrilling rig installation generally denoted by reference numeral 10wherein a derrick 12 is vertically erected so that the crown block 14fixedly mounted on top thereof is aligned above a well bore into whichpipe sections 16 are inserted or withdrawn. A substructure 18 is erectedabove the bore hole providing a working platform 20 on which the pipeholding slip 22 is mounted in order to controllably clamp and hold pipesections while a pipe joint is being rotated in order to couple oruncouple two pipe sections in accordance with well known procedures. Thepipe section 16 may therefore be engaged by an elevator 24 for eitherlowering or raising it in vertical position as shown. The elevator istherefore suspended from a traveling block generally referred to byreference numeral 26 through which the pipe section 16 may extendupwardly while it is being guided by workmen on a derrick rackingplatform 28 mounted by the derrick 12. Where two pipe sections areeither being coupled or uncoupled from the pipe section as shown inFIGURE 1, the upper pipe section may also extend upwardly beyond thecrown block 14 as shown in FIGURE 1. The pipe sections are thus eitherlowered or raise-d by steps wherein the elevator 24 is engaged with thepipe section and then vertically displaced by means of the travelingblock 26 a predetermined vertical distance before the pipe section isaxially clamped by the slip 22 and held in this position until theelevator is released and returned to its initial position by thetraveling block for reengagement with the pipe section. This procedureis repeated until a predetermined length of pipe sections are eitherinserted or withdrawn from the bore hole. The traveling block 26 istherefore suspendedfrom the crown block by a cable assembly generallyreferred to by reference numeral 30 including a plurality of cable linesthe number of which depends upon the mechanical advantage desired inraising or lowering the load suspended from the traveling block.

Referring now to FIGURES 6 and 7, diagrammatically illustrating thecrown block and traveling block combina tion of the present invention,it will be observed that the crown block includes a plurality of pulleysheaves consisting of a fast line sheave 32, a dead line sheave 34 andone or more cross-over sheaves 36. All of the pulley sheaves associatedwith the crown block are rotatable in parallel planes and in theillustration shown in FIGURES 6 and 7, are rotatable about a commonrotational axis 38 which is maintained stationary on top of the derrickwhich mounts the crown block. A fast cable line 40 which extends fromthe power winch (not shown) is entrained about the fast line sheave 32and extends downwardly therefrom toward the traveling block 26. Thecable line is then extrained about pulley 42 associated with thetraveling block from which it extends upwardly back toward the crownblock. The cable line is then entrained about the cross-over sheave 36and extends downwardly once again for entrainment about the other pulley44 associated with the traveling block as diagrammatically shown inFIGURE 6. The cable line then extends upwardly from the pulley 44 and isentrained about the dead line sheave 34 of the crown block from whichthe anchored dead line portion 46' of the cable line extends to ananchor point 48. It will also be observed from FIGURE 7, that thepulleys 42 and 44 associated with the traveling block are rotatablymounted about angularly related axes 50 and 52 which intersect on avertical axis 54 along which the load or pipe sections are verticallydisplaced for insertion into or withdrawal from the bore hole. It willbe apparent therefore, that the perpendicular spaced relationshipbetween the pulleys 42 and 44 as shown in the illustrated embodiment,permits the pipe sections to extend upwardly between these pulleys withmaximum clearance. Furthermore, because of the angular relationship ofthe pulleys in the traveling block, the sheaves 32, 34 and 36 associatedwith the crown block may be rotatably mounted about parallel axesthereby avoiding the cross mounting of any pulley sheaves. In theexample illustrated in FIGURE 7, the sheaves 34 and 36 are axiallyspaced apart by a greater amount than the axial spacing between thesheaves 32 and 36 in order to accommodate upward extension of a pipesection therebetween.

Referring now to FIGURES 2 and 3, it will be observed that the travelingblock 26 includes a pair of frame sections 56 and 58 within which thepulleys 42 and 44 are respectively enclosed. The-frame sections areinterconnected at a right angle to each other so that the axes extendingthrough the pulley journal assemblies 60 and 62 associated with theframe sections may substantially intersect with each other on thevertical axis along which the pipe sections 16 are displacedThe pipesections are displaced by vertical movement of the traveling block 26when the fast line 40 of the cable assembly 30 is being either wound upor unwound from the power Winch. The pipe sections are suspended fromthe traveling block when the elevator 24, of well known construction, isengaged therewith below the pipe joint '64 as shown in FIGURE 2, theelevator being suspended from the frame sections 56 and 58 of thetraveling block by the elevator links 66. Each of the frame sections istherefore provided with a downwardly projecting ear 68 pivotallymounting a loop 70 from which an elevator link 66 is suspended.

As shown in FIGURE 4, the crown block 14 rotatably mounts the sheaves32, 36 and 34 about a common axis by means of the shaft assembly 72rotatably mounted by the crown block frame 74 fixed to the top of theder- 1 rick 12. A pipe section 16 may therefore project upwardly betweenthe sheaves 34 and 36. FIGURE 5 shows an alternative arrangement for thesheaves of the crown block generally referred to by reference numeral14'. In this crown block, the cross-over sheave 36' is rotatably mountedby the frame 74' about an axis in parallel spaced relation to the commonaxis extending through the fast line sheave 32 and the dead line sheave34'. Accordingly, the pipe section 16 may then extend upwardly betweenthe sheaves 32' and 34 in view of the lateral spacing between thesesheaves and the cross-over sheave 36.

From the foregoing description, the construction, operation and utilityof the crown and traveling block combination of the present inventionwill be apparent. It should be appreciated, that crown and travelingblocks embodying the principles of the present invention may beconstructed with as many pulley sheaves as desired as long as all of thesheaves associated with the crown block are rotatably mounted aboutparallel axes and at least two of the pulleys associated with thetraveling block are rotatably mounted about axes substantiallyintersecting the pipe section vertically aligned with the bore hole.Because of the foregoing arrangement of the invention, crown blocks maybe utilized without the necessity of having cross-mounted sheaves and agreater amount of leeway in the positioning of the traveling blockrelative to the pipe sections will be permitted. Thus, withdrawal ofpipe sections or insertion thereof into the bore hole may be effectedmore rapidly.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows;

1. In combination with a derrick mounted crown pulley block having atleast a fast line sheave, a cross-over sheave and a dead line sheave allof which sheaves are mounted about parallel axes, a traveling pulleyblock, an elongated load suspended from said traveling pulley block andcable means operatively interconnecting said pulley blocks fordisplacing said load along a vertical axis extending through both ofsaid pulley blocks in close perpendicular spaced relation to theparallel axes of said sheaves in the crown block, and said travelingpulley block including at least two pulleys about which the'cable meansis entrained and frame means from which the load is suspended rotatablymounting said pulleys about angularly spaced axes substantiallyintersecting the load.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said frame means includes a pairof frame sections respectively enclosing the pulleys and interconnectedonly along a vertical corner spaced from the vertical axis innon-interfering relation to the load.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said sheaves in the crown blockare axially spaced from each other by unequal amounts, said verticalaxis of the load extending between the sheaves that are axially spacedapart the greatest amount.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said sheaves in the crown blockare axially spaced from each other by unequal amounts, said verticalaxis of the load extending between the sheaves that are axially spacedapart the greatest amount.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein one of said pulleys of thetraveling block is disposed substantially perpendicular to the parallelsheaves of the crown block.

6. In combination with a drilling derrick fixedly mounting a crown blockhaving only parallel pulley sheaves, a

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said frame means includes a pairof frame sections between which the pipe section extends, said framesections beingv interconnected at an angle to each other andrespectively supporting said pulleys in perpendicular relation to eachother.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1952 Hilborn 254l 4/ 1956Patterson 254 OTHER REFERENCES The Petroleum Engineer, Allan Fredhold,December 1955, p. Bl25, FIG. 1.

RICHARD E. AEGERTER, Primary Examiner.

EVON C. BLUNK, Examiner. H. C. HORNSBY, Assistant Examiner.

